The outgoing president of Panama, Mireya Moscoso, last Thursday pardoned four men serving prison sentences in Panama for endangering public safety by possessing a large amount of explosives. She did so for what she said were “humanitarian reasons.” The explosives had been designed to kill visiting Cuban President Fidel Castro in 2000. The release of the terrorists has caused consternation in Cuba, Venezuela (where one of the men is wanted) and Panama with Havana immediately severing diplomatic relations and Venezuela recalling its ambassador.

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Cubana flight 455 crashed into the sea off the island of Barbados in October of 1976 after a bomb exploded on board. All 73 passengers and crew died. One of the men found guilty of planning and executing the sabotage was Luis Posada Carriles who escaped from a Venezuelan prison where he was serving time for the act of terrorism. After years of walking the streets of Miami and San Salvador a free man, he turned up again in Panama in 2000 where he and three Cuban Americans attempted to kill Fidel Castro along with many hundreds of students and workers attending a welcome for the Cuban leader. Now they have been released after serving only 4 years of a 7-8 year sentence. Iraida Malberti’s husband was one of those killed on board Cubana Flight 455. She says she cannot understand the release of these terrorists:

“My husband, who was flying in the plane, was killed by Posada Carriles. These men are confessed killers, of that there is no doubt. And now they’re pardoned under this false concept of humanitarianism. In the name of what humanitarianism does she speak, this woman?”

Dr Julio Yao is a professor of International Law at the University of Panama and was very explicit about the illegal nature of the Panamanian president’s act:

“The President of Panama has violated the Constitution because the political constitution of Panama only authorizes a pardon in cases of political crimes and terrorism is not a political crime. She also violated international law because she did not comply with her obligations and treaties signed by Panama regarding terrorism. I personally believe that the elections in November are not indifferent to this fact.”

Indeed, says former US Attorney General Ramsey Clarke, the timing of this event coincided with an electoral campaign visit of US President George Bush to Miami and the beginning of the Republican National Convention in New York:

“This pardon by President Mireya Moscoso has to be seen as the most recent in a long line of terrorist acts against the government and the people of Cuba. It is not insignificant that this happens on the eve of the Republican Convention. That the United States desired this and caused it to happen would be hard to deny and it is sad to see in the midst of President Bush’s war on terrorism, he continues the US war on terrorism against the sovereignty and independence of the people of Cuba.”

Cubans are astounded at what they call the treachery, lies and support of terrorism by Panama’s president. Stephen Fay of Radio Havana Cuba explains that the 1976 bombing of the Cubana flight has never been forgotten:

“I think that caused such an incredible impact in the Cuban psyche – Posada Carriles was involved in that sabotage attack – so now to see him released after serving four years of a pitifully short eight year sentence, perhaps it would have been easier to cope with if he’d escaped. But he’s been pardoned and released by the president of a nation. There’s a feeling of disbelief and disgust.”

Mireya Moscoso said she released the four men on what she termed as “humanitarian” grounds because she feared they would face the death penalty if a succeeding Panamanian government extradited them to Cuba or to Venezuela which specifically claims Posada Carriles. Her comment elicited anger in both countries with Caracas promptly recalling its ambassador after Cuba had severed diplomatic relations with Panama.

Havana has previously publicly guaranteed the four terrorists would not face the death penalty and Venezuela doesn’t even have the death penalty on its books. Cuba pointed out that Moscoso was quick to triumphantly call a US official with the news three of the four were on their way back to a hero’s welcome in Miami. The fourth, Luis Posada Carriles, once again free, flew to an unknown destination.

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Bosch is reasonably quiet since then, but Luis Posada and Guillermo Novo are true die-hards. Since three years they are in a Panamese jail for their latest foiled murder attempt on Castro. Before Fidel could speak there on a Latin American summit, they were caught with bags full of explosives. However, Washington is working hard on their release. And why not? George W. publicly advocates the need for Castro 's "removal". But why then is the Panama trial not reported in the mainstream press? See for yourself: +Posada +Panama. Do the search click here

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Pedro Remon Rodriguez (associate of Posada Carriles) is another who has been able to run free after being responsible for much death and mayhem. Remon was a member of Brigade 2506 and his resume includes the death of Felix Garcia Rodriguez.

Others who have been protected by the government are Felipe De Diego, Reinaldo Pico and Jose Perdomo.

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I would like to add that the witness who said that he saw (the now famous anti Castro terrorrist) Luis Posada in Dealey Plaza on 11/22/1963 was CHAUNCEY MARVIN HOLT (deceased 1997).

This is NOT known information to the public. To my knowledge there is no other source who has ever implicated Posada in the events of Dallas 11/22/1963. But if you see how Mr. Posada and his associates have been protected by George Bush's CIA for over 40 years, from the bombing of the Cuban airliner in 1976, to Posada's participation in Iran Contra along with his operation 40 pal Felix Rodriguez, to the current pardon for the latest attempt on Castro, it sure starts to make sense.

Wim

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Thank you for drawing attention to this story. I have been away and have just caught up with the postings on the forum.

According to Gaeton Fonzi (The Last Investigation), Posada was a former lieutenant in the United States Army, where he took an intelligence staff officer course. Does anyone have any information on this.

In 1973 Posada was arrested with Orlando Bosch for blowing up a Cubana Airlines plane that killed 73 people. He escaped from a Venezuelan jail in 1985 as a result of a a bribe from Jorge Mas Canosa, the head of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), an organization created under Ronald Reagan. The organization received substantial federal funds for running Radio and TV Marti, in order to transmit propaganda to Cuba.

In the 1980s Posada was accused of being involved in importing large quantities of cocaine into the US in support of the Contras in Nicaragua. According to Peter Dale Scott (Cocaine Politics) Posada was second in charge of a major Contra resupply operation at Ilopango Air Force Base in El Salvador. He was recruited by Felix Rodriguez, a long-time CIA operative who was with the Bolivian forces that captured and executed Che Guevera.

Posada gave an interview to the New York Times (July 12th, 1998), where he admitted to planning a series of bombings in Cuba. He also revealed that he had been receiving US government funding via the Cuban American National Foundation.

Here are a couple of pictures of Posada. Any evidence he was in Dallas on the day of the assassination.

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Another interesting point about Posada. In October, 1976, the midair explosion of Cubana Airlines plane flying out of Barbados killed all 73 people aboard. This included all 24 young athletes on Cuba's gold-medal fencing team. Police in Trinidad arrested two Venezuelans, Herman Ricardo and Freddy Lugo. Ricardo worked for Posada's security agency in Venezuela and admitted that he and Lugo had planted two bombs on the plane. Ricardo claimed the bombing had been organized by Posada and Orlando Bosch. When Posada was arrested he was found with a map of Washington showing the daily route of to work of Orlando Letelier, the former Chilean Foreign Minister, who had been assassinated on 21st September, 1976.

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It is also worth looking at the relationship between Posada and Orlando Bosch.

After the Bay of Pigs. Bosch ran an anti-Castro training camp for the Central Intelligence Agency in Homestead, Florida. Bosch gradually became convinced that the Cubans had been betrayed by President John F. Kennedy and wrote a pamphlet about this called The Tragedy of Cuba.

According to Marita Lorenz, Bosch became a member of Operation 40, a CIA assassination squad. One member, Frank Sturgis claimed: "this assassination group (Operation 40) would upon orders, naturally, assassinate either members of the military or the political parties of the foreign country that you were going to infiltrate, and if necessary some of your own members who were suspected of being foreign agents... We were concentrating strictly in Cuba at that particular time."

Lorenz pointed out that a few days before the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a group including Bosch, Frank Sturgis, Guillermo Novo and Pedro Diaz Lanz, travelled to Dallas. She also claimed that Bosch was at a motel in Dallas when Kennedy's murder was planned.

Bosch founded the contra-revolutionary group called "Poder Cubano" (Cuban Power) which he used as a means of developing and implementing his terrorist theme of war throughout the world. According to Cuban authorities Bosch was involved in 78 terrorist attacks on Spain, England, Japan, Mexico, Poland, and other countries that traded with Cuba.

In October, 1968, United States officials arrested Bosch for terrorist activities and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He was freed in 1972. The following year he moved to Venezuela where he joined up with Guillermo Novo and Luis Posada.

In October, 1973, the midair explosion of Cubana Airlines plane flying out of Barbados killed all 73 people aboard. This included all 24 young athletes on Cuba's gold-medal fencing team. Police in Trinidad arrested two Venezuelans, Herman Ricardo and Freddy Lugo. Ricardo worked for Posada's security agency in Venezuela and admitted that he and Lugo had planted two bombs on the plane. Ricardo claimed the bombing had been organized by Bosch and Luis Posada. When Posada was arrested he was found with a map of Washington showing the daily route of to work of Orlando Letelier, the former Chilean Foreign Minister, who had been assassinated on 21st September, 1976.

Herman Ricardo and Freddy Lugo were both sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. In 1987 Bosch was freed with the help of Otto Reich, the White House's leading adviser on Latin America. Bosch entered the United States, where he was granted asylum. He was eventually pardoned by President George Bush on 18th July, 1990.

Here is a photograph of Bosch.

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Page 466 of Double Cross, Gianacana's biography states that it was rumored that one of Trafficante's exile friends alledgedly sent to Dallas as triggermen for the hit, was a "former Havana vice cop, turned mobster" which would be roughly applicable for Posada. The description of a US customs agent is a fit for Cesar Disosdado, who showed up at Antonio Veciana's house days after the assassination to inquire what Veciana knew about the Kennedy Assassination. Veciana said he knew nothing, and Diosdado seemed satisfied.

Wim

Edited September 16, 2004 by Wim Dankbaar

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According to Gaeton Fonzi (The Last Investigation), Posada was a former lieutenant in the United States Army, where he took an intelligence staff officer course. Does anyone have any information on this.

I am unable to cite a source just now as my notes are a complete mess but according to the State Department, Posada was appointed as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in March of 1963. This was under the Cuban exile volunteer program. He served until September 1966. Files held by the Department of Army indicated that extensive records existed on Posada before his appointment to active duty. This information related to his supposed involvement in violent Cuban exile activities in Florida and Latin America. There were also mentions of possible violations of United States federal statutes. The Intelligence staff officer course varied between 2 and 9 weeks and was designed to build skills which would help create effective and cooperative groups.

It's my opinion that if Posada was going to be recruited into the plot for Dallas then his role would not have been that of a shooter (which he had shown no penchant for) but explosives. If there was an explosive device set as some kind of back-up plan in Dealey Plaza or the immediate surrounds, then I believe one should be looking at Roy Hargraves. With that, I don't believe Posada played a part in the death of JFK.

FWIW.

James

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Just thought I would post this contemporary image of Posada and his murdering crony Pedro Remon Rodriguez. When one ponders how Lee Harvey Oswald can officially be blamed for the death of a US President and a Dallas police officer when innocent, and then murdered himself while guys like the ones below, who are responsible for dozens of deaths are able to walk free, it just highlights the cruel injustices of our world and the depth of official corruption.

Just thought I would post this contemporary image of Posada and his murdering crony Pedro Remon Rodriguez. When one ponders how Lee Harvey Oswald can officially be blamed for the death of a US President and a Dallas police officer when innocent, and then murdered himself while guys like the ones below, who are responsible for dozens of deaths are able to walk free, it just highlights the cruel injustices of our world and the depth of official corruption.

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One of the other men released by the President of Panama was Guillermo Novo. According to Marita Lorenz, Novo was involved with Operation 40, a CIA assassination squad. Lorenz pointed out that a few days before the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a group including Novo, Orlando Bosch, Frank Sturgis, Ignacio Novo and Pedro Diaz Lanz, travelled to Dallas. She also claimed that he was at a motel in Dallas when Kennedy's murder was planned.

In 1964 Novo bought a bazooka, a portable rocket launcher, for $35 in an Eighth Avenue shop and rebuilt it.” He planned to use it to kill Che Guevera, who was scheduled to address the UN General Assembly. He fired the shell from the East River waterfront in Long Island, facing the UN building across the river. According to the New York Times the shell “landed in the East River about 200 yards short of the 38-story United Nations Secretariat building, sending up a 15-foot geyser of water.”

FBI Agents Robert Scherrer and Carter Cornick claimed that Novo played a key role in the murder of Roland Masferrer in Miami on 31st October, 1975. Later he worked for General Augusto Pinochet of Chile. The following year Novo was suspected of being involved with Luis Posada, Orlando Bosch, Herman Ricardo and Freddy Lugo in the Cubana Airlines plane that exploded killing all 73 people aboard.

When Posada was arrested he was found with a map of Washington showing the daily route of to work of Orlando Letelier, the former Chilean Foreign Minister, who had been assassinated on 21st September, 1976. Novo and Alvin Ross were arrested and found guilty of conspiring to murder Letelier. In 1981 he obtained a retrial and was acquitted on a technicality. The jury had also acquitted Ignacio Novo, Guillermo’s younger brother, of aiding and abetting the conspiracy.

Saul Landau reported at the time: "As the courtroom emptied, the two Novo brothers, Ross, their families and supporters used the hallway to continue their buoyant celebration. Then Guillermo saw me staring at them - in dismay, since I could not understand how the jury could have come to such a verdict in light of the overwhelming evidence presented. Looking at me murderously, he hissed and then, as if continuing his conversation with Ignacio, said in Spanish “Now we can finish off the rest of these communist pigs.”

Novo continued to take part in terrorist attacks on Cuba. In 2000 Novo and three colleagues, Luis Posada, Gaspar Jiménez and Pedro Remón, were arrested and imprisoned after trying to assassinate Fidel Castro at the University of Panama.

Maybe he isn't with a good memory anymore that would help out even more....

Either that or I need to learn how to do what this little guy does and do it fast.

I wish Files never told me to watch out for the guy in the picture so long ago. Files said is good but others think of him as very bad. That he doesn't want to see anything happen to me. So, Wim by posting this you just made my day, to worry more. Oh hech, as I hope these guys got to give up sooner or later. They are very old now. Let the ol' dog's of war rest as Files said. That would give me nothing to worry about, as I would say to this.

Are both brothers out of prison now? Before I was assured both were in prison and you have nothing to worry about.